Addition of senior executives in communications, marketing and strategic alliances reflects company’s growth and focus on customer experienceMOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — (October 16, 2012) — Today 23andMe, the leading personal genetics company, announces the appointment of Christine Castro as Vice President Communications, Neil Rothstein as Vice President Marketing, and Jonathan Ward as Vice President Strategic Alliances joining the company’s executive leadership team.
As Vice President, Communications, Chris Castro is responsible for the company’s corporate communications, media relations and investor relations initiatives. Prior to joining 23andMe, Chris served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations, for Genentech, as well as Chief Communications Officer for Yahoo! Inc. and Vice President, Corporate Communications for The Walt Disney Company. Chris has a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and a master of arts degree in communications management, both from the University of Southern California.
As VP Marketing, Neil Rothstein is responsible for the marketing, branding and customer acquisition activities of the company. Prior to joining 23andMe, Neil worked at Netflix for 11 years most recently serving as VP, Online Marketing where he led the company’s global online marketing activities across the US, Canada, Latin America, UK, and Ireland. Neil has also had roles with RateItAll, ESPN, and the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. Neil received an MBA from the Gouizueta Business School at Emory University and a BA in Economics from Brandeis University.
Serving as Vice President, Strategic Alliances, Jonathan Ward is responsible for the company’s strategic partnerships. Prior to joining 23andMe, Jonathan served most recently as interim Chief Marketing Officer at eHarmony.com and held a variety of marketing and business development roles during his eight-year tenure there. Jonathan has also held marketing and business development roles at America Online, McKinsey & Company as well as Ogilvy, Adams & Rinehart. Jonathan has a bachelor of arts degree in English from Williams College and holds a masters in management from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
“The addition of these seasoned executives to our management team is essential to helping us manage our growth and continuing to expand the consumer genetics market, said Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe CEO and co-founder. “I am thrilled to be working with such an experienced and innovative team.”

About 23andMe

23andMe, Inc. is the leading consumer genetics and research company. Founded in 2006, the mission of the company is to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. The company was named by TIME as a “Genius Company” in 2018, and featured as Fast Company's #2 Most Innovative Health Company in 2018. 23andMe has millions of customers worldwide, with more than 80 percent of customers consented to participate in research. 23andMe, Inc. is located in Mountain View, CA. More information is available at www.23andMe.com.

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